Reading

Coverage highlights foodservice and hospitality activity in this key South East town, with reporting focused on the Oracle Riverside, Broad Street, Caversham, and Station Hill areas. Topics include restaurant and bar openings, commuter-led weekday trade, independent operator growth, and regional investment linked to Reading’s tech and business hub status. Insight is geared toward operators monitoring footfall dynamics, high street recovery, and scalable dining formats in affluent commuter markets.

Aug- 2025 -

14 August

Food and Drink

XP Factory revenues bounce back following difficult Q1 trading

Experiential hospitality operator, XP Factory, has seen owner-operated revenues rise 12% year-on-year for the 19-week period to 10 August with the support of new openings and improving consumer demand. The update follows a difficult start to the financial year, with like-for-like said to be returning to growth across both its…
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13 August

Restaurants

Loungers opens 300th site in Hampshire

Loungers has opened its 300th site with the launch of Antico Lounge in Alton, East Hampshire. Founded in Bristol in 2002 by Alex Reilley, Jake Bishop and Dave Reid, the café/bar group operates all day café/bar/restaurants under the Lounge, Cosy Club and Brightside brands. It has opened 21 new Lounges…
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Jul- 2025 -

31 July

Restaurants

Zambrero UK launches franchise recruitment programme

Mexican-inspired QSR franchise Zambrero has announced the launch of a franchise recruitment programme, as it plans to open 100 restaurants in the UK by 2030. The company is already on its way to achieving its target, having recently signed up its first three franchise partners who will open new sites…
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Jun- 2025 -

6 June

Pubs and Bars

Spinners secures £4m investment for expansion

Competitive socialising operator Spinners has announced that it has secured an investment of £4m from Gresham House Ventures. The funding from Gresham House Ventures will be used to expand the business’s footprint to new sites around the UK. It will also support improved data capture to better understand customer behaviour…
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May- 2025 -

7 May

Trade Associations

UKH rolls out hospitality training programmes across England

UKHospitality, in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), has announced the launch of hospitality Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) in 26 areas across England. The new programme trains jobseekers with hospitality skills in a working environment and provides them with both work experience and a guaranteed interview…
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Nov- 2024 -

12 November

Cafes and Coffee Shops

Paul UK unveils new franchise partner

French bakery and café chain Paul UK has announced Zaf Holdings Limited (ZHL) as its newest franchise partner in the UK. ZHL will open 10 stores over the next five years, bringing the Paul brand to key locations in the Southeast of England. The first store is targeted to open…
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Oct- 2024 -

8 October

Restaurants

D&D London owners complete TGIF acquisition

TGI Fridays has been acquired by D&D London owners Breal Capital and Calveton UK through its acquisition vehicle Liberty Bar and Restaurant Group Limited for an undisclosed sum. The sale, which is based on 51 restaurants, should secure the future of more than 2,000 jobs across those restaurants. Breal Capital…
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Sep- 2024 -

27 September

Food and Drink

Chick-fil-A targets UK expansion

Atlanta-based fast food restaurant Chick-fil-A has announced that it is targeting sites in London, Leeds, Liverpool and Belfast as it looks to expand into the UK market. The brand has stated that it is “in the process of selecting operators” for the four cities and hopes to open a total…
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Aug- 2024 -

27 August

Breweries and Distilleries

Brakspear’s FY turnover jumps 9% to £38.6m

JT Davies and Sons Holdings Limited, the parent company of Brakspear, has reported a 9% increase in turnover to £38.6m for the year ending 31 December 2023 against 2022, with an expected reduction in profitability. Underlying EBITDA was reported as £10.9m, slightly lower than the £11.2m reported for 2022 when…
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Jun- 2024 -

10 June

News

Today’s news in brief – 10/06/24

St Austell Brewery has reported a “record” year where total revenues rose 10% to £229.5m. This comes as the group’s total operating profits for the financial period reached £13.2m, showing a rise of 15% on the previous year. During 2023, St Austell saw inflation reduce from the peak of the…
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